Podcast producers win at the 2021 Audio Production Awards

The Audio Production Awards, sponsored by Audible, were held at a gala evening yesterday, 24 November, hosted by Jordan North and Vick Hope at the BFI on London’s South Bank.

The APAs, organised by AudioUK, celebrate podcast, radio and audiobook production skills. There are 21 categories in total spanning podcasting, audiobooks and radio.

The Grassroots award, sponsored by The Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund, was won by We are VOICES, a British Red Cross/VOICES network initiative which involved refugees and asylum seekers learning production skills to make podcasts building understanding and empathy through stories of lived experience.

Reform Radio’s Olivia Swift won in the Best New Podcast Producer category, with The Lunar Company’s Victor Lee and Crowd Network’s Anna Staufenberg taking Silver and Bronze respectively.

Elsewhere Annie Mac won the special AudioUK Award for representing the full 360 degrees of audio – podcasts, radio, and now an audiobook, and for being a huge supporter of women and new talent in the industry.       

Ben Walker won Best Drama Producer for his work with the new company Storyglass, run by Steve Carsey.

Novel was also well-represented among the categories, with two gold awards, one bronze award and three further nominees.

The coveted Production Company of the Year Award was won by Listen Entertainment.

Kellie While, Chair of AudioUK said: “It’s been fantastic to have everyone back together in one place to celebrate our wonderful industry- this year’s nominees and winners can all be so proud of their work, produced to such a high standard in times which are still difficult for many.

“We hope these awards will inspire the next generation of production talent to seek recognition and we hope to see them here next year, up on the stage where they belong.”

Audio Production Awards Winners 2021

Best Arts Producer
GOLD – Michael Umney – Novel
SILVER – Leonie Thomas – Whistledown Productions
BRONZE – Ben Walker – Storyglass in association with English Touring Theatre

Nominees
Caroline Thornham – Novel
Geoff Bird – Freelance
Sarah Jane Murray – Storyglass

Best News Producer
GOLD – Rachel Stonehouse – BBC Newsbeat
SILVER – Elizabeth Cassin – The Guardian
BRONZE – Robert Nicholson – Whistledown Productions

Nominees
Asya Fouks – The Times and The Sunday Times
James Shield – The Times and The Sunday Times
Courtney Yusuf – The Guardian

Best Factual Producer Sponsored by Audio Content Fund
GOLD – Geoff Bird – Freelance
SILVER – Will Roe – Wireless Studios
BRONZE – Joe Kent – BBC Long Form Audio

Nominees
Sean Allsop – Audio Always
Martin Austwick – Freelance
Emma Barnaby – Whistledown Productions

Best Drama Producer
GOLD – Ben Walker – Storyglass
SILVER – Rosalind Ayres – Jarvis & Ayres Productions
BRONZE – Nicolas Jackson – Afonica

Nominees
Dirk Maggs – Audible Studios
Emma Haigh – Big Finish Productions
Jacob Roberts-Mensah – Our Day

Best New Voice
GOLD – Ade Oladipo – talkSPORT
SILVER – Zakia Sewell – Falling Tree Productions
BRONZE – Liza Ward – Whistledown Productions

Nominees
Josie Bevan – Falling Tree Productions
Jack Blanchard – POLITICO Europe / Whistledown Productions
Dom Stephens – Freelance

Grassroots Production Award Sponsored by The Podcasting, Seriously Awards Fund
GOLD – We Are VOICES – British Red Cross/VOICES Network
SILVER – Lucy Evans – Fierce Green Productions
BRONZE – Multitrack

Nominees
Miran Hadžić – Miran Hadžić Productions
The Last Bohemians

Best Sports Producer Sponsored by In:Quality
GOLD – Chris Browning – Formula 1
SILVER – Tayo Popoola – Freelance
BRONZE – Olly Clink – talkSPORT

Nominees
Steve Hankey – Whistledown Productions
Ben Mundy – BBC Newsbeat
Andrew Spence – Unedited

Best Ensemble Cast
GOLD – Elis James & John Robins – Audio Always
SILVER – Nikita & Islah – TBI Media
BRONZE – Zeze Millz & David ‘Sideman’ Whitely – Amazon Music

Nominees
Kat Harbourne & Jenny Eells – BBC Radio Sheffield
Kurupt FM: MC Grindah, DJ Beats, Steves and Chabuddy G – Audible
Sofa Cinema Club: Jack P Shepherd, Colson Smith and Ben Price – Audio Always

Best New Podcast Producer Sponsored by Acast
GOLD – Olivia Swift – Reform Radio
SILVER – Victor Lee – The Lunar Company
BRONZE – Anna Staufenberg – Crowd Network

Nominees
Jessica Beck – Freelance
Meera Kumar – Freelance
Weyland McKenzie-Witter – Freelance

Best Sound Design Producer
GOLD – The Skewer – Unusual Productions
SILVER – Steve Bond – Freelance
BRONZE – Martin Austwick – Freelance

Nominees
Nicholas Alexander – Novel
Emma Barnaby – Whistledown Productions
Phil Smith – Falling Tree Productions / Freelance

Best Entertainment Producer Sponsored by Outset Studio
GOLD – Lance Dann – Rezilience Ltd
SILVER – Natalia Rodriguez – Radio Wolfgang
BRONZE – Liam Conroy – BBC Radio 1

Nominees
Geoff Jein – TBI Media
Selina Ream – Somethin’ Else
Will Wilkin – BBC Radio 1

Best Station Sound Producer
GOLD – Chris Nicoll – WIZZFX
SILVER – Ali Rezakhani – BBC Sounds
BRONZE – Rob Green – Audio Always

Nominees
Mark Jeeves – Scala Radio
Sam Parker – WIZZFX
Adam Venton – Little Monster Media

Best Narrator
GOLD – Olivia Colman – HarperCollins UK
SILVER – David Haig – Pier Productions Ltd
BRONZE – Colleen Prendergast – Almost Tangible

Nominees
David Bower – Penguin Random House
Carl Prekopp – Almost Tangible
Andy Serkis – HarperCollins Audio

Best Audiobook Producer
GOLD – Dirk Maggs – Audible Studios
SILVER – Richard Hughes – Anyway Audio
BRONZE – Caroline Raphael – Freelance

Nominees
Lisa Hollinshead – Audiobook Productions
Rosemary O’Dowd – RNIB / Freelance
Tanya Hougham – HarperCollins UK

Gethin Thomas Award for Best Comedy Producer
GOLD – Benbrick – Novel
SILVER – Lance Dann – Rezilience Ltd
BRONZE – Jon Holmes – Unusual

Nominees
Kurt Brookes – Made in Manchester
Andy Cartwright – Soundscape Productions

Best New Radio Producer Sponsored by Cleanfeed
GOLD – Hunter Charlton – Burning Bright Audio
SILVER – Rosie Merotra – Somethin’ Else
BRONZE – Eleanor Biggs – Novel

Nominees
Michael Dale – Somethin’ Else
Bradley Duggan – Listen
Sami El-Enany – Falling Tree Productions

Best Host – Speech Audio Sponsored by Outset Studio
GOLD – Lady Unchained – Folded Wing / Prison Radio Association
SILVER – Elinor Hamilton – Tadah Media
BRONZE – Danny Robins – Bafflegab Productions

Nominees
Elis James & John Robins – Audio Always
Prof. Alice Roberts – Made in Manchester
Ian Wright – Somethin’ Else

Best Host – Music Audio
GOLD – Ricky Wilson – Made in Manchester
SILVER – Vick Hope – BBC Audio
BRONZE – Miranda Sawyer – Freelance

Nominees
Dermot O’Leary – Ora Et Labora
GuyB – Great Music Stories Radio
Jerelle Forbes – Prison Radio Association

Best Music Producer
GOLD – Jack Howson – Reduced Listening
SILVER – Ashley Byrne – Made in Manchester
BRONZE – Steven Rajam – Overcoat Media

Nominees
Geoff Bird – Freelance
Jesse Howard – Somethin’ Else
Natalie Steed – Folk on Foot

Life in COVID-19 Award
GOLD – Judith Dimant & Julian Wilkinson – Wayward Productions
SILVER – Justin Dealey – BBC Three Counties Radio
BRONZE – Victoria Ferran & Kim Normanton – Just Radio Ltd

Nominees
2000 AD Dramas – Penguin Random House
Ivor Manley & Holly Aquilina – Radio Wolfgang
Sue Nelson & Luke Hastings – Boffin Media / BBC OS

Production Company of the Year
GOLD – Listen Entertainment
SILVER – Made in Manchester
BRONZE – Fresh Air Productions

Nominees
Audio Always
Novel
Whistledown Productions